Inside Mets manager Carlos Mendoza’s ABS plan for spring training

The New York Mets are attacking the ABS Challenge System with urgency this spring. As spring training unfolds in Port St. Lucie for the Mets, manager Carlos Mendoza is preparing his roster for one of the most impactful MLB rule changes in the sport’s history.

The system introduces automated ball-strike reviews, allowing limited in-game challenges that immediately test pitch accuracy and plate discipline under heightened scrutiny from umpires, technology, and opposing teams alike.

Instead of gradually adapting, Mendoza encourages his players to challenge the limits from the outset. The Mets view exhibition games as a testing ground before the regular season begins. Under league guidelines, teams receive two challenges per game, retain successful challenges, and restrict initiation to pitchers, catchers, or batters.

MLB formally approved the ABS Challenge System for the 2026 season after extensive testing in the minor leagues. Now, each club must decide how aggressively to use those opportunities. The Mets are choosing experimentation over restraint during camp.

SNY’s Chelsea Janes shared Mendoza’s comments Thursday on X (formerly known as Twitter), clarifying how the club plans to implement the ABS Challenge System throughout spring workouts and Grapefruit League action.

Found this interesting: Carlos Mendoza said Mets plan for ABS in spring training is “to be aggressive.” Challenge as much as guys want so they can see who is good at it, then make any necessary rules to rein in the ones who aren’t.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) February 19, 2026

The strategy prioritizes information gathering over caution. The manager wants to identify which pitchers and hitters consistently make sharp challenge decisions before Opening Day 2026.

The Mets open their Grapefruit League schedule Saturday vs. the Miami Marlins. Those early matchups will immediately test how comfortable players feel navigating the ABS Challenge System in real time. By encouraging frequent challenges now, the organization can establish internal standards before the stakes rise in April.

Coaches will closely track challenge success rates and communication patterns during those early exhibitions in Florida.

The plan by Mendoza reflects preparation, not resistance to the MLB rule changes set for 2026. The Mets will remain within league parameters while maximizing every opportunity to evaluate the system. That proactive approach could sharpen late-game decision-making once the automated zone becomes a regular part of competition.

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